Wheelbarrow leg assembly

ABSTRACT

A WHEELBARROW LEG ASSEMBLY HAVING A BRACE EXTENDANT BETWEEN A PAIR OF SUPPORTING LEGS, DISCONNECTABLE CONNECTOR MEANS BEING PROVIDED FOR RIGIDLY ATTACHING THE BRACE TO THE LEGS ON ATTACHMENT OF THE LEGS TO THE WHEELBARROW FRAME.

Jan. 5,1971 R. w. GARBER WHEELBARROW LEG ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

Filed Feb 28, 1969 INVENTORQ Roy W Garber BY I ATTORNEY:

Jan. 5, 1971 R. w. GARBER 3,552,762

WHEELBARROW LEG ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 28, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR Roy W. Garber ATTOR NEY} BY Mo M United States Patent 3,552,762 WHEELBARROW LEG ASSEMBLY Roy W. Garber, Elizabethtown, Pa., assignor to Jackson Manufacturing Co., Harrisburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 803,148 Int. Cl. B62b 11/00 US. Cl. 28047.33 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wheelbarrow leg assembly having a brace extendant between a pair of supporting legs, disconnectable connector means being provided for rigidly attaching the brace to the legs on attachment of the legs to the Wheelbarrow frame.

This invention relates to improvements in wheelbarrow leg assemblies.

In present day marketing procedures, the manufacturer of merchandise such as wheelbarrows usually ships the same to a retail outlet in a relatively disassembled condition, for assemblage by the customer. This enables the manufacturer to save on shipping costs by reducing the bulk of the packages shipped, which savings may be passed on to the customer in a manner to enable distant manufacturers to competitively price their products with respect to those of local manufacturers. The manufacturer also endeavors to provide merchandise which may be readily assembled by the customer.

In connection with wheelbarrows, particularly those intended for heavy duty operations, it has long been found necessary to provide a brace extending between the legs thereof, intermediate the ground engaging and frame attached portions thereof. Conveniently, such brace has been riveted to the legs by the manufacturer, which has considerably increased the bulk of the shipping package and has thereby increased the shipping costs. The primary object of this invention is the provision of a leg assembly for wheelbarrows, including a leg brace, and in which the brace is disconnectable from the legs and may be shipped in a disassembled condition.

A further object is the provision of a wheelbarrow leg assembly including a disconnectable leg brace and in which the leg brace may be readily attached to the legs by the customer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheelbarrow including my improved leg assembly.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the brace of my leg assembly in position for attachment to a leg.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the brace of my improved leg assembly is interconnected to the spaced apart wheelbarrow legs.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing leg and brace in disassembled relation and arranged for packaging.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A may generally designate a wheelbarrow which may include a frame B having my improved leg assembly C attached thereto.

3,552,762 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 ice.

Wheelbarrow A may be of any conventional type. In the form shown in the drawings, frame B thereof may include a tray 10, front wheel assembly 11, handles 12 and frame cross braces 13.

My improved leg assembly C may include a pair of spaced apart legs 20 and 21, a brace 22 extendant between legs 20 and 21, connector means 23 for attachment of brace 22 to each leg 20 and 21, and attaching means 24 for attachment of legs 20 and 21 to frame B.

Each leg 20 and 21 preferably comprises a somewhat U-sha-ped member having a front leg portion 25, rear leg portion 26 and bight portion 27. The end of each leg portion 25 and 26 may be provided with a curved flange portion 28, which may have an opening 30 therethrough for receiving an attaching means 24, as will be subsequently described. A wear shoe 32 may be attached to bight portion 27 to protect legs 20 and 21 from wear through engagement with the ground. Legs 20 and 21 are preferably channel shape to provide added strength, having a central web 33 and a pair of side flanges 34 and 35.

Rear leg portions 26 of each leg 20 and 21 may be provided with a pair of spaced-apart slot means 37, each of which form a part of connector means 23, as will be subsequently described.

Brace 22 preferably includes an elongated body portion 40 which may have divergent extensions 41 and 42 at each end thereof. Body portion 40 may be embossed to provide maximum strength. An L-sh'aped tab means 43 may be provided extendant from each end extension 41 and 42 of body portion 40. Each tab means 43 may include an offset lug 44 having a shoulder portion 45. An opening 46 may be provided adjacent tab means 43 of extensions 41 at each end of body portion 40, to facilitate packaging, as shown in FIG. 6.

Slot means 37 and tab means 43 comprise connector means 23 for providing disconnectable interlocking means for maintaining brace 22 interconnected to legs 20 and 21, as will be subsequently described.

As shown in FIG. 4, attaching means 24 may comprise a stove bolt 50 which may extend through an opening 52 provided through tray 10, handle 12, and cross brace 13, through opening 30 of flange 28 and be attached thereto by a nut 51.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, brace 22 may be easily attached to each leg 20 and 21. As shown in FIG. 2, one mode of attachment may be by way of insertion of both tab means 43 at one end of brace 22 to within corresponding slot means 37 of leg 21, and thereafter leg 21 may be rotated to firmly seat shoulder portion 45 of each tab means 43 within slot means 37 and with each offset lug 44 in abutment with one surface of web 33 and another portion of brace 22 in abutment with the opposite surface of web 33. As shown in FIG. 5, another selective method of attachment will be by way of insertion of both tab means 43 at one end of brace 22 to within, for instance, corresponding slot means 37 of leg 20 and to then rotate brace 22 to firmly seat shoulder portion 45 within slot means 37,

offset lug 44 being in abutment with one surface of web 33 and another portion of brace 22 being in abutment with the opposite surface of web 33.

When brace 22 is interconnected to and extendant between legs 20 and 21, as shown in FIG. 3, in full lines, the openings of frame B which receive attaching means 24 for attachment of each rear leg portion 26 of each leg 20 and 21 will be aligned and attaching means 24 will be relatively loosely attached. The openings of frame B for receiving attaching means 24 for attachment of front leg portions 25 of each leg 20 and 21 are spaced slightly further apart so that front leg portions 25 are required to be sprung apart, as shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 3, in order to align openings 30 with opening 52 and attaching means 24 are attached thereto. This springing apart of front leg portions 25 of legs 20 and 21 exerts a torsional force on tab means 43 which securely locks the same within slot means 37 in rigidly attaching brace 22 to legs 20 and 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, one leg 20 or 21 may be interfitted over the other and brace 22 lain thereacross, all being connected by fasteners, such as bolts 50 and nuts 51, to provide a compact disassembled unit for packaging purposes.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a leg assembly for attachment to a wheelbarrow frame, a pair of spaced apart legs, each said leg comprising a U-shaped channel member having front and rear leg portions, with the blght portion thereof lowermost and the uppermost portion of each leg portion in juxtaposition for attachment to said wheelbarrow frame at spaced apart locations, corresponding leg portions of each said legs including slot means, a brace extending between said legs, the end of said brace adjacent each leg including tab means received by said slot means, each said tab means including a offset lug having a shoulder portion, each said tab means being received in a slot means with said shoulder portion extend'ant through a slot means, an offset lug portion in abutment with one surface of a leg portion to one side of said slot means and another portion of said brace in abutment with the opposite surface of the leg portion to the other side of said slot means, and attaching means for attachment of said legs to said wheelbarrow frame in juxtaposition to maintain said tab means to interlocking engagement with said slot means.

2. A leg assembly as specified in claim 1 wherein each end of said brace includes at least a pair of tab means and each leg includes at least a pair of slot means for receiving the same.

3. A leg assembly as specified in claim 1 wherein said leg and said brace are rotatable with respect to each other in insertion of said tab means within said slot means and attachment of said attaching means locks the same against counter-rotation in preventing disengagement thereof.

4. A leg assembly as specified in claim 1 wherein said 4 shoulder portion of said tab means is engageable with the sides of said slot means in limiting folding of said legs toward and away from each other.

5. In a leg assembly for attachment to a wheelbarrow frame, a pair of spaced apart legs, spaced apart front and rear attaching means for securing each of said legs to said wheelbarrow frame, a brace extending between said legs, and connector means for attaching said brace to each said leg member, said connector means comprising disconnectable interlocking means for maintaining said brace interconnected to said legs by attachment of said legs to said wheelbarrow frame by said front and rear attaching means, said brace including tab means extending from each end thereof, each. of said tab means including an olfset lug having a shoulder portion, and each said legs including slot means for receiving a tab means therein with a shoulder portion thereof extendant through a slot means, an offset lug portion in abutment with one surface of a leg at one side of a slot means and another portion of said brace in abutment with the opposite surface of a .leg at the other side of a slot means, said tab means and said slot means comprising said connect-or means.

6. A leg assembly as specified in claim 5 wherein each end of said brace includes at least a pair of tab means and each leg includes at least a pair of slot means for receiving the same.

7. A leg assembly as specified in claim 5 wherein said leg and said brace are rotatable with respect to each other in insertion of said tab means within said slot means and attachment of said attaching means locks the same against counter rotation in preventing disengagement thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 588,095 8/1897 Snyder 280-4733 594,766 11/1897 Taylor 28047.3l

961,719 6/1910 Hubbard 28047.31

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,175,999 8/1964 Germany 280-4731 LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner R. R. SONG, Assistant Examiner 

